Former Nigeria international Dimeji Lawal believes the country has a unique opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past and put Nigerian football on a stronger footing following the resignation of the Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led Nigeria Football Federation board.
Lawal said the departure of the former administration should only be regarded as the beginning of the reform process, insisting that the country must now carefully address the deeper structural problems affecting the game.
“The resignation of the Gusau-led board is only one part of the process,” Lawal said, urging stakeholders to thread carefully as Nigeria begins the next phase of football reforms.
The former international stressed that Nigerian football requires a complete overhaul of the system, rather than simply changing the individuals occupying leadership positions.
He believes the current situation presents Nigeria with an opportunity to examine how the game is administered and introduce structures capable of delivering sustainable development.
Lawal also cautioned against assuming that the involvement of former footballers in the administration would automatically guarantee success.
He argued that while ex-players possess valuable knowledge and experience of the game, their background alone should not be the sole qualification for leadership.
According to him, the same principle applies to politicians, stressing that neither former footballers nor politicians should automatically be considered the solution to Nigeria’s football problems simply because of their backgrounds.
What matters, Lawal maintained, is putting the right structures and competent individuals in place to drive the development of the game.
His comments come as Nigerian football enters a major transition following the resignation of Gusau, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and the Executive Committee, with FIFA accepting the resignations and backing continued discussions on a comprehensive reform roadmap.
Lawal believes the process must therefore go beyond personalities and focus on creating a system that can withstand changes in leadership.
The former Nigeria international urged stakeholders to approach the reforms with caution and a clear understanding of the challenges facing the country’s football.
For Lawal, the current crisis should ultimately become an opportunity to correct past mistakes, overhaul the system and build a football structure capable of delivering lasting success for Nigeria.
